Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today defended his Cabinet colleagues Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar and Jaykumar Rawal--both from the BJP--who are facing allegations of impropriety in the Legislative Assembly.
Referring to Nilangekar (BJP), who heads Labour department, the CM said the latter had nothing to do with the One Time Settlement (OTS) of a bank loan of a private firm allegedly linked to the minister.
"Nilangekar is just a guarantor to the loan (taken by the firm) which was settled as per the RBI rules," said Fadnavis.
The private firm took the loan in 2009 and 2011, which was later declared as NPA (Non-Performing Asset).
The firm owed theUnion Bank of India and the Bank of Maharashtra Rs 49crore with interest.
On Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal (BJP), who is facing allegations of dubious land deals in Dhule district and of illegally holding the land of a hill resort, Fadnavis said Rawal had nothing to do with the resort.
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The NCP had alleged that Rawal was operating the resort in Nandurbar district in north Maharashtra despite his company Toranmal Hill Resorts Private Ltd. being blacklisted by the state-run tourism development corporation (MTDC).
"The MTDCland for the resort was leased in 1990 whereas the dispute between the MTDC and the company started in 2006. Rawal has informed me that he had nothing to do with the company," the CM said.
NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik had alleged that Rawal's company was given the MTDC resort on lease from 1998 to 2006.
"The company did not pay the lease rent to the MTDC, which in turn invoked provisions of the Eviction of Public Premises Act, in 2011 and sent a notice to the company.
"However, MTDC officials were not allowed to do their work and were forcibly turned away," he had said.
Malik had also accused Rawal of indulging in dubious land deals in his home district Dhule in the wake of suicide committed by 84-year-old farmer Dharma Patil, who was seeking adequate compensation for his land which was acquired for a solar project.
Rawal had denied the allegations against him.
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